No Valentine's Day in Aceh

The Aceh provincial government has placed on a ban on Valentine's Day celebrations this year. Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Saaduddin Djamal said celebration of the February 14 holiday was vulgar and promiscuous. "No youth or Muslim in Banda Aceh should celebrate Valentine's Day in any way. It opposes sharia law," she said on February 11.

Illiza said the local government would begin disseminating the ban through social media. "We started the hashtag, #ValentineBukanUntukKami ('Valentine's is not for us') on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram," she said. The government is also urging hotels, cafes and malls not to participate in Valentine's Day celebrations.